Eastern signs deal with Weeks for hopper dredger

The following is the text of a news release from Eastern Shipbuilding Group:

(PANAMA CITY, Fla.) — Eastern Shipbuilding is pleased to announce that on, Friday, March 27, 2015, Weeks Marine Inc. (WMI) and Eastern Shipbuilding Group Inc. (ESG) signed a contract to complete the construction of its trailing suction hopper dredger, the Magdalen. This 356-foot twin-screw trailing suction hopper dredger will be constructed at Eastern’s Allanton Panama City, Fla., facility.

Weeks Marine is another Eastern repeat client. This new construction dredger project continues our commitment to the U.S. Jones Act maritime industry and its long history of being a successful diversified U.S. shipbuilder. Looking forward, Eastern will continue to grow its facilities along with its strong work force of men and women who are always eager for the next new construction, conversion or repair challenge.

Named the WMI 475 Magdalen (ESG Hull 256), the design and detailed engineering and the dredging equipment are provided by Dredge Technology Corp. (DTC), a member of the IHC Merwede International Group. This trailing suction hopper dredger will be delivered in 2017.

The trailing suction hopper dredger features the following characteristics:

Dimensions (overall): 356’ x 79’-6”’x 27’-3”
Horsepower: (2) 5,682 BHP
Main engines: (2) GE 16V250
Main shaft generators: (2) 3,400 kW
Auxiliary generator: (1) GE 6L250 (1,423 kW)
Emergency generator: (1) Caterpillar C18 (600 kW)
Classification: Lloyd’s Register 100A1 hopper dredger, LMC, UMS
Flag and regulatory: USA, USCG
Hopper capacity: 8,550 cubic yards
LD dredge pump power: (2) @ 1,600 kW
HD dredge pump power: (1) @ 1,600 kW
Jet pump power: (2) @ 445 kW
Bow thruster: (1) 730kW VFD fixed-pitch tunnel unit
  
Eastern is proud to assist Weeks Marine Inc. in delivering this investment in the maritime future of America, constructing this state-of-the-art Jones Act vessel to meet the country’s growing needs.

WMI's Dredging Division is comprised of over 400 dedicated employees with vast experience in this specialized trade. WMI owns and operates a diversified fleet of dredging and support equipment capable of performing the most complex and demanding dredging projects. The division's mission is to provide superlative dredging services in a safe and environmentally sensitive manner. WMI's commitment to its customers, employees and the environment is exemplified in its incident and injury free (IIF) culture.

Founded in 1919 as a dredging and stevedoring company, privately owned Weeks Marine Inc. is one of the largest marine and tunneling contractors in the United States and Canada. The company’s corporate office is located in Cranford, N.J., with regional offices in Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Hawaii, Ontario and Quebec. Weeks has successfully completed projects throughout North America, South America, the Caribbean and the Pacific Rim and was recently ranked 86th on the Engineering News-Record 2011 top 400 contractors list.

By Professional Mariner Staff